Coffee and a Dance
by Lothm
Summary: The new girl in Stardew Valley was cute, thought Harvey, pretty. He was much too old for her, though... Or at least, that's what he told himself.
1. Chapter 1

Coffee and a Dance

She was cute, thought Harvey, pretty. Much too young for him, though. Yoba, he was in high school when she was just a baby!

When he looked at her, he saw her bright eyes and youthful optimism - she was in her early 20's, and was fit from working at her grandfather's farm.  
When Harvey looked in the mirror, he saw his tired eyes, and how they crinkled when he smiled, and his body left a lot to be desired – other bachelors in town like Sam or Alex were all hard lines and angles, fit and lively. Harvey had gone soft at the edges a long time ago. He was now in his mid-thirties, and his lady-chasing days were long gone.

She was relatively new in Stardew Valley, but seemed to bring the town alive. She was a hard worker, and spent many a day out in the fields, in the mines, or simply running errands about the town. She was polite, and quick to make friends, he noticed, and her energy made him feel even older.

One morning, she had filled in a notice that he had put up on the town noticeboard, a request for some amethyst. She came in with the stone, as well as two cups of coffee.

"Good morning, Dr. Harvey!"

"Good morning, Miss,"

"I saw your notice on the board. I found an amethyst for you! I hope it's the sort of thing you were after." she said, placing the stone gently on the counter-top.

"Yes, it is!" He exclaimed, picking up the purple gem and holding it to the light. It sparkled with purple and navy flecks. "It's perfect, thank you!"

"No worries," she said, brushing off the compliment. "I'm glad you like it." Her cheeks coloured just slightly, though the doctor did not notice. "I, uh, I grabbed some coffee on the way here, but Gus got my order wrong and gave me a second one for free. Do you like long blacks?"

"Oh, Miss, I couldn't possibly-"

"I'm offering it to you!" She smiled. "Would you like it? I would hate for it to go to waste."

Her sincere face made Harvey's heart stammer. He sighed. "Well, if you insist," he said, taking the coffee. He did indeed like long blacks. He took a sip. The coffee was still hot, and was nice and strong, just how he liked. "Thank you very much!"

They bade their farewells, and the doctor watched as she left. He found his heart felt warm, but that was probably the coffee.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the night of the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. It was a beautiful and calm atmosphere; the candles floating on the ocean, fairy lights, the jellyfish creating soft green-blue glow in the sea. Someone had started a campfire on the beach and Elliot had his guitar out and was singing along to songs on the radio that Emily had brought along.  
Many were dancing bare-foot on the beach; Vincent and Jas were stamping their little feet, Jodi and Kent were waltzing, and even Evelyn and George were swaying to the music together. The stars twinkled and the moon was a perfect sliver up in the sky. It was truly a wonderful night. Harvey stood alone by the firelight, enjoying the glow of the festivities.

"Are you having a good night, Harvey?"

Harvey turned to see her standing there in a lovely beach dress that flowed past her knees and caught every whiff of a breeze. "I am," he chipped, blushing. "It's the perfect night for this event. Everyone seems to be having a good time."

"It is lovely," she agreed. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling in the firelight, and Harvey's heart did a flip, which was becoming more and more common around her the more he tried to suppress it. He dared not hope, but he couldn't find himself able to pull away from her gaze.

"Let's dance," she said, suddenly.

"What? Oh, no, I don't really-" His words were lost in his throat as she held his hand, pulling him towards the music.

"Neither do I," she said, twirling around and interlacing her fingers in his. "But the mood's caught me. The music is good, it's a romantic evening, everyone else is dancing…"

Harvey's mind crumbled at 'romantic' and his cheeks turned bright red. "I-I suppose… Just don't let me step on your toes…"

She laughed, and Harvey suspected that she may have had a little to drink, but she was steady on her feet and her eyes were bright and alert. Harvey's mind was reeling, and he felt giddy when she put her arms around his shoulders and swayed them side to side. He placed his shaky hands on her waist and tried not to think about how close his body was to hers. Harvey sighed.

"I'm too old for this," he looked down at his feet, embarrassed. He was too old to be dancing, let alone with a girl 14 years his junior.

She frowned. "Not at all! Even George is dancing!"

"T-that's not what I meant... I'm too old for you," he mumbled, hoping the others wouldn't hear. "Why aren't you dancing with someone your own age?"

"I don't want to dance with them," she smiled shyly. "I want to dance with you."

The doctor looked up at her, blushing. "Why?"

"Because you're a wonderful man," she said, eyes sparkling. Her face was tinged pink, and she fiddled with her hands behind Harvey's neck. Harvey's face tinted an even deeper shade of crimson. He stuttered but couldn't get his words out.

Her face was just as red as his was. "D-Did you want to dance with me, too, Harvey?" she said shyly.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Of course I do. I just... Well, I just thought you wouldn't to dance with an old man like me." He chuckled, voice shaking a little.

She smiled. "Shush. You're not old! It doesn't worry me one bit." She reached up to smooth his hair. "I wish you weren't so hard on yourself. You're sweet, kind and thoughtful. You're incredibly smart, and you genuinely care about others."

And with that, Harvey was head over heels. Something clicked in his head, and he leaned down, hesitantly at first to gauge her reaction, and kissed her as they swayed back and forth together. His heart soared when she kissed him back, holding onto him tighter.

He broke the kiss, bashfully looking away. She giggled.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," she admitted.

"Really?"

"Really."

Harvey grinned.


End file.
